General Mills - Area Sales Manager

Company Description :

One of the world's leading food companies, General Mills operates in more than 100 countries and markets more than 100 consumer brands, including Cheerios, Haagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Yoplait and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills had fiscal 2013 global net sales of US $17.8 billion.

Since 1996, General Mills India has been offering an innovative range of food products. Our business consists of four verticals: Retail Sales, Bakeries & Food Services (B&FS), Exports & Haagen-Dazs Shops. Our brands in India include Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Pamapara, Green Giant, Nature Valley & Haagen Dazs.

Job Description :

- Develop Sales plans and budgets to achieve or exceed the annual sales objectives for the Area. Monitor and control the sales budget to ensure optimum utilization of resources in the region. Responsible for accurate SKU forecast for assigned area.

- Generate top line growth, volumes & sales of company products in the region through a team of salesmen in order to achieve or exceed the annual targets

- Conduct regular weekly market visits with team and RSM to check route coverage, competitor activity and continuously search for new opportunities in order to increase sales in the region by ensuring expansion into new outlets

- Provide distributors and customers in the area with information about new or improved products and services in order to improve sales in the area

- Develop and maintain an efficient and optimum distribution & DSM network to ensure the comprehensive availability of company's products and services across the region to achieve or exceed the sales targets

- Establish and ensure that all sales administration procedures relating to the area are properly implemented to support the sales teams in their efforts to accomplish the sales targets

- Audit, coordinate and follow up with the storehouse / depot supervisor to ensure that adequate inventory stock of product is maintained for the area in order to meet the sales delivery schedules and provide the distributors with superior levels of service and meet the needs of the customer

- Liaise with the Marketing team to ensure that adequate marketing support by way of merchandising and promotions is available in the area in order to provide successful new product launches, increase brand visibility and promote sales in the region

- Interview, induct and develop the necessary Area Sales Management organization structure and ensure the right caliber of staffing and appropriate training to meet all job Induct and develop the necessary DSM / Promoter organization structure and ensure the right caliber of staffing and appropriate training to meet all job requirements

- Induct and develop the necessary DSM / Promoter organization structure and ensure the right caliber of staffing and appropriate training to meet all job requirements

- Create and submit weekly reports on JC Spend, Targets, weekly reports etc as per schedule

- Submit, validate and coordinate for claims processing

Qualifications :

The ideal incumbent is :

- A full-time MBA from premier institutes, with specialization in Sales and Marketing

- At least 2 years of Sales experience FMCG sector, ideally Food companies.

- Should have good knowledge of Sales, Distribution, Finance and Marketing concepts.

- Good general management, negotiation, leadership, analytical & people management skills.

- Should have sharp business acumen.

General Mills prides itself in being one of the most admired companies for its integrity in managing its business and its employees. The successful candidate will need to exhibit high standards of integrity and have a very strong core belief in - doing the right thing- and be resilient and persistent in ensuring that integrity is maintained at the highest level. He/she also needs to act to address and resolve conflicts early and in an open and direct manner, communicate candidly with bosses, peers and employees. He or she should also be able to work effectively within teams and across businesses and functions.

Additional Information :

Within General Mills we are expected to role model our values :

Do the right thing all the time :

- Ensure all dealings are transparent and conducted with ethics & integrity. All contracts meet audit & risk requirements for life of contract.

Play to Win :

- Deliver exceptional value for the customers and delivering on the commitments. Always putting consumer first.

Win as a Team :

- Build open & trusting work relationships. Respecting & embracing differences and working across boundaries to get the best outcome for the company.

Grow and Inspire :

- Inspire people to be their best - not only at General Mills but also in our community. Building diverse teams and empowering them to make a difference.

Act Boldly, move quickly :

- Seek improvements in every area of the company. Quickly sense & respond to risks & opportunities. Take decisive actions on critical priorities.